Marine reduction gear transmission



July 5, 1960 L. w. FALK ETAL 2,943,504

MARINE REDUCTION GEAR TRANSMISSION Filed Sept. 3, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 1l I S INVENTOR. Louis W. FALK a; BY William $.RIOHARDSON filo/new July5, 1960 L. w. FALK EI'AL 2,943,504

MARINE REDUCTION GEAR TRANSMISSION Filed Sept. 3, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. Louis W. FALK 8 y William $.RIGHARDSON jfgi orneqw July 5,1960 w. FALK EI'AL 2,943,504

MARINE REDUCTION GEAR TRANSMISSION Filed Sept. 3, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR. Louis W. FALK a y William S.RIGHARD$ON MTE-Lu fi.

2 50f eys July 5, 1960 w. FALK ETAL 2,943,504

MARINE REDUCTION GEAR TRANSMISSION Filed Sept. 3, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 4IIIIIIIIIIW M'WIIIIIIIIII IIIIIII I ENTOR. Louis W. ALK 8:

BY William S. RICHARDSON MQ V McZ.

y 1950 w. FALK ET AL 2,943,504

MARINE REDUCTION GEAR TRANSMISSION Filed Sept. 3, 1957 w e Sheets-Sheet5 A: 35:; main W ii "ii" ""iiiii i 5 :1: x Y m INVENTOR.

Louis W. FALK 8 filo/ways y William S-RICHARDSON L. W. FALK -ET ALMARINE REDUCTION- GEAR TRANSMISSION July 5, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 FiledSept. 3, 1957 il-IIII! RGN M K T w m w a m W WM s M m m Lm w Y B $9, 8/mm 2.

rates MARINE REDUCTION GEAR TRANSMISSION Filed Sept. 3, 1957, Ser. No.681,613

3 Claims. (Cl. 74-361) The invention relates to ship propulsionmachinery and more particularly to reduction gear transmission betweenthe prime mover and the propeller shaft.

The main object of the invention is to provide a marine reduction geartransmission of compact construction and of narrow athwartship widthreceiving power from a unidirectional prime mover and transmitting thesame through ahead and astern gear trains alternately established bymeans of suitable clutches.

A further object of the invention is to provide a marine reduction geartransmission in which a primary gear train selectively drives asecondary gear train through a series of clutches, preferably airoperated clutches, there being sets of clutches on each side of thedrive pinion for ahead propulsion and sets of clutches on each side ofthe drive pinion for astern propulsion whereby the desired SHP can betransmitted within the available space and the clutches are of apractical size. By distributing the driving load in each instance over amultiplicity of clutches space requirements, lower initial cost and easeof maintenance of the clutch units is obtained.

The propulsion unit embodying the features of this invention can be usedfor a single screw ship or used as a pair for twin screw ships.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafterdescribed and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusionhereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is an elevation of a propulsion unit provided with reduction geartransmission embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detailed horizontal sectional view taken on the line 22 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 3-3of Fig. 1, with the housing being cut open to show the mesh point ofcertain gears contained therein, and with the oil retainer removed atthe right hand shaft portion thereof;

Fig. 4 is a detailed horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the gear train;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section of parts shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional View through the rotary air jointconnector.

The propulsion unit includes a prime mover, a primary reduction geartrain including forward and reverse shafts, secondary reduction geartrains operatively connected with the propeller shaft P, and clutchmeans for selectively connecting forward and reverse shafts in drivingrelation with the secondary gear trains.

Referring to Fig. l, the propulsion unit shown herein, as an example,includes a steam turbine T having its driven shaft 6 connected by adouble articulated coupling C shown in Figs. 2 and 5 and comprising twoexternally toothed rings 7 secured respectively to the turbine shaft 6and a pinion shaft 8, and a floating assembly of two internally toothedsleeves 9 suitably secured to a spacer sleeve 10, and meshing with saidrings 7. An annular bumper projection 11 on each ring 7 (one beingshown) limits the axial movement of the floating assembly between theflanged portion of sleeves 9 and the rings 7.

2,943,504 Patented July 5, 1960 Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the primaryreduction gear unit includes the pinion shaft 8 suitably journaled in asectional housing 12 and having a pinion 13 mounted or formed thereonand meshing with a driven gear 14 whose shaft 15 is suitably journaledin said housing 12, said gear 14 meshing with a gear 16 whose shaft 17is also suitably journaled in said housing. It will be noted from Fig.3, that the bearings for the shafts 15 and 17 are mounted betweenadjacent split sections of the housing.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the secondary reduction gear unit includes adrive pinion shaft 18 mounted in bearings 19 in a housing 20 and havinga pinion 21 mounted or formed thereon and meshing with a pinion gear 22on the propeller shaft P, and a drive pinion shaft 23 mounted inbearings 23a in the housing 20 and having a pinion 24 mounted or formedthereon and also meshing with the gear 21 on the propeller shaft P whichis also suitably journaled in the housing 20. The shafts 18 and 23 aredisposed parallel to each other and in suitably spaced relation andaligned respectively with the shafts 15 and 17.

Referring to Fig. 4, the shafts 18 and 23 are hollow and a hollow quillshaft 25 extends through the hollow of each shaft and projects beyondeach end of the same. Each quill shaft 25 has a coupling fitting section26, bolted to its flanged end 27, and having a cup shaped flanged end 28for bolting to the flanged end 29 of the extended end of either theshaft 15 or the shaft 17 and also having a clutch spider 30 formedintegral therewith to the peripheral portion of which is secured bybolts 31 an annular channel section clutch mounting member 32 to which asimilar clutch mounting member 33 is secured by bolts 34. The other endof the quill shaft 25 has a flanged hub 35 non-rotatably secured theretoto which a clutch spider 36 is secured by bolts 37. Spider 36 has anannular channel section clutch mounting member 38 secured thereto bybolts 3? to which a similar clutch mounting member 40 is secured bybolts 41.

Each of the shafts 18 and 23, as shown in connection with shaft 23, haveflanged ends 42 at their extended portions and a clutch drum 43 issecured to each of these ends 42 by bolts 44. Each clutch drum isadapted to be engaged by sets of clutch bands 45. Each band 45 comprisesa series of arcuate clutch plates suitably mounted on the face or innerside of a pneumatic tube 46 whose opposite side is bonded to one of thechannel members, such as the channel members 32, 33, 38 and 4t) and eachtube is provided with an air supply and exhaust passage 47. Each ofthese passages for one set of clutches connects with aligned connectingpassages 47b in the associated channel members which are connected withan air passage 47a in each of the spiders 30 and 36. An air supply andexhaust pipe 48 for each set of clutches connects with a rotary airjoint 49 which connects with a central passage 58 in each spider 36 thatconnects directly with its passage 47a and with a tube 51 mounted in andextending centrally of the hollow quill shaft 25 and connected at itsouter end to a fitting 52 having an air passage 53 connecting with theair passage 47a in the spider 30. A flexible bellows joint 54 near theaft end of the air tube 51 accommodates differential temperatureexpansion between the quill and the tube.

The rotary air joint shown in Fig. 7 includes a housing 55 fixed againstrotation by the pipe 48 which connects with a bore 55a communicatingwith the outer end of the apertured shaft extension 56 of the spider 36on which it is journaled and having a carbon seat 57 urged by a spring58 against the end of said extension 56. With the above constructionwhen compressed air is selectively admitted to either of the pipes 48supplying the clutches for the shaft 18 or the shaft 23, the tubes 46 ofthese clutches are inflated to bring the clutch bands 45 of the 3.clutches into driving'engagement with their associated drums 43 so thatthe selected shaft of the: shafts 18 or 23 is driven from the primaryunit through the quill shaft assembly and the clutches. The inlet andrelease of compressed air from the clutches is through suitable controlvalve mechanism, not shown, controlling each pipe-48. Thus,dependinguponwhich' of the-sets of clutches are energized, will dependthe direction of rotationof'the propeller shaft P. For forward or aheaddrive, the clutches for engaging the shaft 18 are inflated the'drivethen being the unidirectionally driven pinion 13, gear 14, shaft and itsassociated quill and clutches, shaft18' and its pinion 21 and propellerdrive shaft gear 22. Under these conditions, the gear 16 and shaft 17with its associated quill shaft assembly run idle. For astern drive, theclutches for engaging the shaft 23 are inflated, the drive then beingthe-pinion 13, gear 14, gear 16', shaft 17 and its associated quill andclutches, shaft 23 and its pinion 24 and propeller drive shaft gear 22.The clutch elements associated with the drive pinion shaft 18, itspinion 21 and the pinion gear 22 then run idle.

Where the shafts 8, 15 and 17 extend through the housing 12 suitable oilseals, not shown, are provided so that the housing forms an oilreservoir for the gears mounted therein. The shafts 13 and 23 Where theyproject through the housing are provided with oil seals 59 and similaroil seals are provided for the propeller shaft P so that housing Zhformsan oil reservoir for the gears mounted therein and each of clutchassemblies is mounted in a fixed'housing 60, the aft housing 61 having asuitable oil seal 62 for the projecting end of the spiders 36 so thatthe clutches therein rotate in oil supplied to these housings. In Fig.1, We have shown oil supply piping 63 for the housing 20 and an oilsupply pipe 64 for the hous ing 12 and the steam turbine T is shown asmounted in a steam condenser 65, though it will be understood that anyother suitable prime mover such as a gas turbine or an oil engine may beused.

It will be noted that the athwartship width of the propulsion unit isdetermined at its widest point by the width of the housing 12 and itsside platforms 66 but is such that the unit can be readily used ineither a single or double screw ship. The gears 14 and 16 are preferablyof the same size so that the propeller shaft may be given the same speedwhen rotated in either directionby the selective control of theclutches.

The reduction gears 13, 14 and 16 and the reduction gears 21, 22 and 23have double helical teeth of involute profile with a narrow gapseparating right and left hand helices, as shown.

We desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limitedto any particular form or relation of parts except insofar as suchlimitations are included in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a marine reduction gearing, the combination of a primary gearreduction unit, including a pair of intermeshing gears adapted forarrangement in athwartship spaced relation and having shaft extensionsdisposed in parallel, and a unidirectional prime-mover-driven pinionmeshing with one of said gears, a secondary gear reduction unitincluding a pair of spaced pinions aligned repectively with said shaftextensions, said pair of pinionseach having a hollow pinion shaft andeach being journalled at its ends in a fixed housing and having extendedends, a quill shaft directly connected to one of the shaft extensions ofthe primary unit and extending through and outwardly from opposite endsof said hollow pinion shaft, and selective drive connections betweensaid primary and secondary unit comprising sets of clutches eachrespectively comprising a hollow drum disposed at each extended end.

4 drum, and radially expansible-contractible means arranged to'concurrently connect and disconnect the respective clutch elements of arespective set of clutches with their associated drum, whereby saidclutches may be operated in tandem to simultaneously drive a respectiveone of said pinicns from opposite ends-of its associated hollow shaft.

2. In a marine reduction gearing, the combination of a primary gearreduction-unit, including apair of intermeshing gears adapted forarrangement in athwartship spaced relation andhavingshaftextensions-disposed in parallel, and a unidirectionalipnime-mover-driven pinion meshing with oneof said gears, a secondarygear reduction unit including-a pair of spaced pinions-alignedrespectively with said shaft extensions, said pair of pinions eachhaving a hollow pinion'shaft and each being journalledat its ends in afixed-housing and having extended ends, a hollow quill shaft directlyconnected to one of the shaft extensions of the primary :unit andextending through and outwardly from opposite ends of saidhollow pinionshaft,

and selective drive connections lb'etween saidprimary and secondary unitcomprising: sets of clutcheseach respectively comprising a drumdisposedat each extended end of said hollow pinion shaft and arranged torotate therewith, clutch elements mounted on'the outer exposed ends ofsaid quill shaft, infiatible pneumatic clutch bands for each clutchofsaid sets arrangeditooperatively connect the respective clutchelementswiththeir associated drum, and means-for selectively supplyingair through said hollow quill shaft concurrently to the infiatibleclutch bands of respective sets of clutches associated with said shaft,whereby; said clutches may be openated in tandem to simultaneously drivea respective one of said pinions from y opposite ends of its associatedhollow shaft,

3. In a m-aminereduction gearing, the combination of a primary gearreduction unit, including a pair --of'intermeshing gears adapted forarrangement in athwartship spaced relation and having shaft extensionsdisposed in parallel, and a unidirectional prime-'mover-driven' pinionmeshing with one of said gears, a secondarygear reduction unitincludinga pair-of spaced'pinicns aligned-respectively with said shaft extensionssaid pair ofpinions each havng a hollow pinion shaft and each beingjournal- 'led at its ends in a fixed housing and having extended ends, ahollow quill shaft directly connected'rto one of the shaft extensions ofthe, primary unit and extending through and outwardly from opposite endsof said hollow pinion shaft, and selective drive connections betweensaid primary and secondary unit comprisingsets of clutcheseach-respectively comprising adrum disposed at each extended end of saidhollow pinion shaft and arranged'to rotate therewith, clutch elementsmounted on the outer exposed ends of said. quill shaft, inflatable.pneumatic clutch bands for each clutch of said sets arranged tooperatively connect the respective clutch-elements withitheir associateddrum, conduitmeans insaid clutches for supplying air to said clutchbands, and anair supply tube. disposed inter-iorly of said hollow quillshaft and communicating with said clutch air conduit means toconcurrently supply air to the infiatible clutch bands of respectivesets of clutches'associated with said shaft, and stationary air supplyfitting in rotatable connection with said air supply-tube, whereby saidclutches may be air operated in tandem to simultaneously drive arespective one of'said pinionsfrom cp posite ends of itsassociatedhollow shaft.

References Citeddn the file of this patent UNITED'STATES PATENTS1,364,325 Sitney Jan; 4, 1921 2,304,030 Schmitter Dec. 1, 1942 2,304,032Schmitter Dec. 1, 1942 2,527,281 varcoe Oct. 24, l950' 2,618,164S'chneider- Nov. 18, 1952

